RvM
Named after Cornelis Drebbel inventor of the first effective submarine. Laid down at the yard of Conrad at Haarlem, Netherlands on 25 November 1914, launched on 1 May 1915, became mothership for the submarine service at Vlissingen, Netherlands and finally decommissioned on 14 November 1972 and sold. With a displacement of 349,9 tons were her dimensions 50,8 x 10,0 x 2,9 metres. The 225 hp allowed a speed of 5,8 knots. The crew numbered 73 men. She was unarmed. To the building of the Cornelis Drebbel and other submarine depot ships was sometimes referred in Dutch newspapers. The Vlissingse Courant dated 23 November 1910 published the next item. In the discussions dealing with the Annual budget and regarded the worse government finances was in the Parliament asked if a fifth submarine was necessary and if there were enough volunteers. Considered the submarine depot ship desired some members more information. Were two ships of this kind enough if the submarines were stationed in several harbours along the coast or were there just two submarine stations to be founded. What kind of ships were they exactly, what were their tasks etc. regarded the vessel which at that moment was fitted out as a depot ship. The same newspaper dated 20 September 1913 wrote that in the Annual budget for 1914 the amount of ƒ 58.040 as last payment was planned for the second depot ship. Another Dutch newspaper the Middelburgsche Courant dated 2 April 1915 reported that the officer engineer 3rd class G.J. de Groot of the Hr.Ms. Vali (a former gunboat later fitted out as a submarine depot ship) was transferred to the yard Conrad at Haarlem to supervise the building of the depot ship. The Vlissingse Courant dated 20 April 1915 reported that the queen baptized the submarine depot ship Cornelis Drebbel under construction at the yard Conrad at Haarlem. This was the second Dutch depot ship (the Vali was the first one). And finally wrote the last newspaper dated 15 December 1915 that on Monday 13 December 16.00 o’clock the Cornelis Drebbel was commissioned. She measured 800 ton with a crew numbering 5 officers and 68 sailors. She departed Tuesday afternoon towards Flushing.(2) This news was confirmed by the Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad daily edition dated 17 December 1915.
